The Melody of The Heart
by Raine Moon
Summary: Life can be ever so cruel. Over the course of one night, a pony who had everything she could have asked for loses it all. What did she do for such ill fate to befall her? More importantly, how will she cope with her loss?
1. Prologue

**The Melody of The Heart**

**Prologue  
**Written by Star Origin

Following the changeling invasion in Canterlot two weeks ago, the security around Canterlot had been fortified by a lot. The Royal Guard even went as far as to recruit soldiers from the surrounding towns of Equestria. They were picky about who they chose, though. They mostly went after ponies that were already formed at maintaining peace such as security management in clubs or museum guards.

Among those ponies was Star Blaze, a white unicorn that used to be in charge of security at a laboratory located in Manehattan. He was never the best magician and he was a bit messy too. His orange mane messed up and strands of orange hair stuck on his fur after the day he spent in Canterlot patrolling in search of any kind of anomaly. It didn't matter what their nature was, they just needed to confirm if it was an anomaly or not and apprehend it if it was one.

The only issue with that was that if foals decided to pull a prank on him, he would technically have to chase said foals until he caught up to them. Normally, he would catch the troublemakers but after a while the original trio had told other foals about him and since then his days were even more hectic than before.

His blue eyes stared absentmindedly at the landscape in front of him while waiting for the train that would take him back to Manehattan. The numerous bags under his eyes were proof enough that the last few nights he had weren't exactly the best nights of his life.

That aside, while his facial expression reeked of fatigue and depression, his musculature wasn't all that bad. He doubted he would ever be qualified to star in some mature magazines sold across Equestria but his physical attributes weren't that bad when compared to some ponies also waiting for a train.

To be fair, he was built a lot more physically than most ponies around him. Of course, having been trained as a guard since he left high school had helped him a lot and ever since the death of his parents when he was still in high school, he had needed to pick some jobs to keep himself alive and to pay his educational bills.

That alone had given him a strong and firm personality but also strengthened his social abilities in the sense that he needed to adapt to them in order to survive in the world they lived in. Many other races thought that Equestria was a haven compared to the other kingdoms around the globe but in fact it was just as cruel economically to any pony as it was to a griffon for example. The only difference ponies had over some others was that they had the princesses to keep wars and internal conflicts at bay.

Star Blaze's was slowly directed at the ground of the train station platform he was on. The floor, made up of bricks like most of Canterlot was, was coloured with a monotonous white. It wouldn't have been that bad if only the floor was like this but the entire train station was built that way; all the walls were white and in only two weeks, Star Blaze had already gotten annoyed by the monotony of the capital.

It was a majestic city in his opinion. The main complain about Canterlot he had was the it was too monotonous for his own tastes and even after he had gotten used to Canterlot, the color scheme of the town still made him cringe a bit on the inside.

While the white stallion was lost in his thoughts, he had completely ignored the stallion that had just called him from afar. His ears had perked up but he ignored them and continued on his train of thoughts. The other stallion had to tap on Star's shoulder in order for him to notice him.

Star Blaze jumped a bit and took a few steps backwards instinctively and looked up to find who or what had startled him. He was not a bit surprised when he saw a stallion with a golden coat and a dark blue mane. The pegasus in front of him snickered and put a hoof over his mouth in an attempt to remain respectful towards the white unicorn but it failed.

"Oh you should see the look on your face right now, Blazey!" the pegasus exclaimed through several bursts of laughter. "It's priceless!"

Star Blaze snorted, glaring at the pegasus. "Shut it, Flash. I'm not in the mood. I had to chase down kids again today and I'm not exactly amused by how they constantly keep doing this every single day. Plus, my body feels sore and I'm so tired right now. The last thing I know is an annoying pest shadowing me all the time."

"Don't be like that, Blazey," 'Flash' replied. The coldness contained in Star's voice had managed to make the pegasus pout. "I was just kidding around."

The unicorn just continued on glaring at Flash. "Not in the mood, Flash Sentry. Unless you have a question of some kind of importance, please leave me be for the moment."

"I've always wondered what your cutie mark meant. Can you tellme exactly what it represents?" Flash Sentry asked with a grin on his lips.

"Why do you suddenly care?" Star replied emotionlessly.

"Isn't it what friends normally do to get to know their friends?

Star Blaze groaned at his reply and then let out a long sigh. He took a deep breath and said, "If you must know, I used to be proficient with fire magic before the death of parents and since then, I've been unable to summon my fire magic. According to one of the scientists in Manehattan, it could be due to a posttraumatic stress disorder after my parents' death.

"I can't be sure myself but I do know I've lost the proficiency I once had with fire magic so this cutie mark isn't representative of my special talent anymore."

"Well that's no fun. I would've liked to see you use some kind of fire magic," Flash Sentry replied with the same pout he had a few minutes ago.

"If I could use my old magic, you'd be the first one on whom I'd test it. Trust me on that one," Star said with a grin, letting out a snicker after he finished talking.

"Seriously?!" Flash let out in an overreacting manner as if he was actually hurt. "I thought I meant more to you than just as a target!"

"Don't worry, you are. You're not a regular target, friend. You're a moving target and I do love a moving target every once in a while."

"You're so mean!"

Star Blaze shrugged and continued his conversation with Flash Sentry. They talked about this and that while Star was waiting for his train. Since the two ponies were Royal Guards, the were still both wearing their armor but now that they were done with their day, they had taken off their helmets. The bulge in their saddlebags showed that much to the other.

Soon enough, Star Blaze bid Flash Sentry goodbye as he saw his train enter the station. He wasted no time in boarding the train once it had stopped at the platform and showing his ticket to the train conductor. Once he had been given the green light, he moved in his usual spot within the main passenger wagon and peacefully sit down and looked out the window while waiting for the train to finish boarding operations and depart for Manehattan.

He was eager to come back home for the night. After all, who wouldn't want to enjoy their only weekend off in the month? He could also count himself lucky they never asked him for night shifts on top of all the hours he did per week on his daily shift. Some guards didn't have his luck. He had a lot of catching up to do once he would get home.

* * *

Once the train had finally stopped at its destination, Star Blaze took his belongings and walked out of the train and onto the boarding platform of the Manehattan. He looked up at the clock in the station and saw the time. It was six in the evening. His eyes widened and the realization hit him with full force.

He was late!

Without wasting a second, he bolted off, climbed the stairs and ran as fast as his legs could carry him through the streets of Manehattan. How had he been able to arrive late in Manehattan? _Oh right. I was asked to do an extra shift today_, Star mentally reminded himself.

Ten minutes had passed once he reached his second destination and Star Blaze was heavily panting. His throat was sore from all the running he had done and trails of sweat stained his fur around his face. He took a few minutes to calm himself and to regain his stature before he entered the building in front of him. The name of the building? Manehattan Elementary School.

The white stallion walked to where the secretariat was and placed himself in front of the secretary there. The secretary, a red unicorn with an orange mane, never raised her head but her ears perked up upon hearing the sound of Star's hooves on the ceramic floor. The sound his armor produced each time he took a step didn't really help his cause at being silent.

"Sorry but whatever business you have right now will have to wait until tomorrow."

"That's not going to be an issue, ma'am. I just came here to pick up Melody," Star replied with a warm smile, hoping he could get the mare's attention.

As if on cue, the secretary looked up at Star Blaze with a surprised look on her face. "Thank goodness! I was beginning to wonder what I'd do with the poor thing. She was constantly saying that her brother would come and pick her up on time. Couldn't you have asked your parents to pick her up instead?" When Star had not given her an answer other than glare at her, she was confused as to what the matter was. "Did I say something that could have upset you, sir?"

"Are you new to this post? I don't seem to recognize you?" Star Blaze asked in a harsh voice the mare and she answered by nodding softly. If anything, she was afraid of what the stallion in front of her would do. "Our parents are dead. They died in a magical incident at the main research academy in town. I'm the only immediate family Melody has right now and I've been raising her ever since she was a foal."

The mare brought a hoof at her mouth and muffled a gasp. She just looked at him in the eyes and said, "I'm so sorry I brought it up. I didn't know about that. I began working here earlier this week. I really didn't mean to—" the mare wanted to continue but she was stopped in her tracks when Star Blazed pressed his hoof against his lips and just stared at her.

"It's in the past," he softly told the mare with next to little coldness in his voice as it has before. "Now, can you tell me where my sister is so I can take her home?"

"Certainly!" The secretary quickly answered.

The mare led Star Blaze to the back of her office and quickly found a white filly with a green mane and tail asleep in what seemed to be a lounge. Probably the lounge for the secretaries when they take breaks, Star Blaze thought.

The stallion wasted no time in igniting his horn and grabbing the filly in his telekinetic hold. After he had made sure she was comfortable and secured on his back, the unicorn thanked the secretary and made his way out of the school and began walking the way back home from there.

The road back home wasn't long or difficult. Although he lived on the western outskirts whereas the elemental school was located near the eastern outskirts, there were little to no obstacles in-between the two. Besides, the streets were starting to get empty as time went by and by the time Star Blaze had gotten home, the night was beginning to settle in and the streets had emptied themselves as per usual.

He unlocked the door using the key he always kept in his saddlebags when he left for Canterlot in the morning. Once he had closed the door behind him, he flicked the lights open with his magic and walked upstairs with the filly still on his back. Despite the fact he constantly said it was just a typical house most of the time, Star Blaze couldn't deny that mahogany cost a lot to buy.

His economical situation wasn't the best with the house he lived in and when Melody was still just a foal, it was common for him to be left without any sort of spending money after paying his bills. Nowadays, with the salary he earned, he was able to keep up with the taxes and all the other bills he had to take care of but he was far from considering himself to be rich.

He opened the lights upstairs and the stallion was welcomed by the green walls of the second floor. Only the main room of the second floor bore that color. Melody's room had also been painted green but for reasons other than the coloration or her mane and tail. Oddly enough, she requested for her room to be painted green because of changelings.

Instead of being afraid of changelings and the rumors running around them since their failed invasion two weeks ago, Melody was a big fan of them. She had even called them cute and awesome in her class. Following that, they had summoned Star Blaze at the school to discuss her behavior and their family background in case they could have been changelings living in exile not annexed to Chrysalis' hive.

After those events, she had asked her brother if they could paint her room green make it themed around the changelings in general. Truly, Star Blaze was jealous of his sister's innocence. He tucked her in bed and headed to his own room, ready to call it a night himself. The day had been rough on him and all he wished for was a good night's rest. He entered his own room without turning the lights on and unfastened his armor's straps with his magic. With that out of the way, he grabbed his armor and put it on the mannequin he had been provided with when he joined the Royal Guard.

Once that was done, he headed over to where his bed was instinctively and found his way under the blankets. It did not take long for him to fall prey to slumber once he laid his head on his pillow.

* * *

The next morning, Star was roused from his sleep by the joyful laughter of his sister who was currently jumping all around his bed with the biggest go smiles on her face.

"Melody…?" Star asked while still half-asleep, his eyes not fully open yet. "What are you doing? I'm trying to sleep here."

"You've had enough sleep for this morning, big bro!" Melody exclaimed defiantly. "You promise you'd come and play with me in the Hollow Shades today."

"Augh. Give me a few minutes and I'll be out of bed, Melody."

"Yay!" Melody's happy shout alongside the hug she gave her brother made his heart melt.

Melody Swiftsong, or simply Melody, could barely keep her eagerness and joy to herself. The jumps she did were ecstatic and anticipation. She hummed a soft tune as she jumped around the living room downstairs while Star Blaze was getting out of bed.

It was only after a cup of coffee that he had remembered the promise he made to his sister the week before. Now fully awake, Star began packing the necessary food for their trip to the Hollow Shades and asked Melody if she had decided on what she wanted to eat for the day while they would be gone.

She answered by saying that she would be fine with whatever he was going to eat and gave her brother a big smile. Her golden eyes didn't help his case in finding her demeanor adorable. She simply continued to jump around the living room as Star was preparing the last of their supplies.

Star Blaze made a mental list of what he was to bring while he looked that the content that lay inside the basket. There were two daisy sandwiches, a few apples, and two bottles of fresh apple juice still sealed tight along with some cheese. The stallion closed the lid of the basket when he confirmed he had everything he wanted to bring.

He ignited his horn, grabbed the basket's handle with his telekinetic hold and moved it behind his head to gently place it on his back. After that was done, the stallion grabbed two pieces of rope and steadied the basket on his back so it wouldn't fall when making his way to the Hollow Shades

"Melody!" The stallion called out to be sure the filly could her him. She had that nasty habit of being oblivious to everypony around her when she was really excited.

"Yes, big bro?" Melody replied back in a sweet chime. A few seconds later, her head appeared in the framing of the hallway leading to the front door. "Are we ready to go now?"

"Indeed we are, little one," Star Blaze told her with a soft smile on.

"Yay! We're going on an adventure!" The little filly ran through the hallway and stopped right next to her brother before giving him another grin.

_That filly loves to make my heart melt from all this cuteness_," Star told himself as he opened the door.

* * *

**To Be Continued**


	2. How It All Began

**The Melody of The Heart**

**Chapter One: How It All Began  
**Written by Star Origin

It was a beautiful day, no doubt an excellent day to take a stroll out of town. Celestia's sun was slowly descending from its zenith when Star Blaze and Melody Swiftsong left their house in direction of the Hollow Shades. The siblings were casually minding their own businesses as they walked through the streets of Manehattan.

Every once in a while, fellow citizens of Manehattan would greet them as they made their way out of town with nothing more than happy expressions on their faces. So far nothing bad had happened. It was the weekend after all. Most ponies were either still sleeping in or enjoying their day with relatives and their loved ones.

The same applied to the two white ponies. They were enjoying their day in the company of each other. That was until some foals bumped into Melody, either accidentally or intentionally.

"Look at this, guys! It's the changeling girl!" One of the foals said to catch the attention of the other foals with her.

"You better be careful around her or she'll drain you of your love when you're not looking." The colt who had said that looked like he was doing this mainly to look impressive in front of his friends so Star just rolled his eyes and groaned internally at his remark.

"Yeah! She's just waiting for you to turn your back so she can take better advantage of you!"

"Stop it! I'm not a changeling!" Melody cried out, feeling the tears form in her eyes. Her voice had even broken a bit more than it usually did. "Y-you're just a b-bunch of b-bullies!"

Those few sobs were enough to tip Star Blaze over the edge and he wasted no time in closing the distance between the foals and himself. He caught them all by surprise when he grabbed them in his magical hold. Though he may have been angry at them, he never used his magic for anything else other than raise them in the air so they could be at eye level.

He offered no glares, no strict stare, no scowls or nothing of the sort. He just looked at them with an emotionless gaze. Either they were already scared of him because of his magic or they had been caught by surprise by the stallion, the foals didn't protest at first but when they looked back at him, the only filly of the group said, "Hey, what's the big idea, big guy?!"

"Nothing really," Star replied simply, no emotions traceable in his voice, "I was just minding my own business when some ill-intentioned foals bumped into my sister and started bullying her. There's no big deal about this."

"Your s-s-sister?" One of the foals asked hesitantly with a shaking voice.

"Why, of course. I would have expected you lot to have at least remarked the resemblance we share. I mean, we're both unicorns with a white coat and we were walking together through the town, "Star continued, his voice still void of any kind of emotions whatsoever. "And now, I feel inclined to ask you five this: why exactly are you bullying my sister?"

"W-well, she l-likes changelings f-for starters," answered one of the foals.

"And she's kind of awkward when in class! She always seems to be in her own little world."

"And that alone condones the act of bullying a seemingly harmless filly with a fascination on creatures that are already mysterious to begin with?" Star simply asked the foals.

"When you put it like that, I guess it doesn't."

"So, are you kids sorry or not?" The calmness in Star Blaze's voice was disarming to the foals. By now, they had expected him to burst in anger for teasing and bullying his sister but he had done none of it. He just remained calm.

"I dunno about the others but I kinda guess I am." The foal who had said that was seemingly the older foal of the gang. Once they saw his actions and reactions, the four other foals also claimed they were sorry.

"And what exactly is it that we do when we're sorry about something we did to somepony else?"

The foals looked at each other confusingly and none of them seemed to want to step forward. Until the filly took a few steps forward the two unicorns and said, "I'm sorry, Melody. Can you forgive me for teasing you for liking changelings?"

"Of course!" Melody told her with a soft smile. "Of course I'll forgive you. Maybe we can even become friends later on by getting to know each other."

True to Star's expectations, the other foals soon took the filly's example and apologized to Melody. The white filly just claimed it was no big deal and that she was sure that they could become friends in time. Star Blaze wasn't exactly sure if that would work out because he knew those foals were influenced by groups a lot so if other groups were to pick on Melody, what exactly would stop them from jumping in and teasing her again?

The stallion watched as her sister tried to engage with the other group of foals into everyday discussions about this and that and did well in that task. Sure, sometimes Melody would get excited and start talking about changelings and how mysterious and cool they were but at every turn, the four foals would tell her about it and she would apologize with a crimson blush on her face.

"Glimmer!" Star Blaze's ears perked up upon hearing somepony shout in front of him in the distance. "You have no idea how you and your friends had me wor—Excuse me but may I ask what it is you're doing to my daughter?"

"Let's not jump to any hasty conclusions," Star began as he put down the foals and freed them from his telekinetic hold. "I am not looking for any sort of trouble, ma'am."

"Please answer me, sir. What were you doing to my daughter?!" the pony asked him in a way resembling a command.

"The reason I had grabbed these foals in my magical hold was to lecture them about how bullying isn't a nice thing to do."

"What does that have to do with my daughter?"

"I caught your daughter and her friends bullying my sister right in front of my eyes. I may be a kind pony to those around me but I will not be so lenient if somepony bullies my sister."

"Glimmer Heart!" the mother began with a harsh tone. "Is this true?"

"No! I mean, I didn't exactly bully her. We were just saying she was weird and all for liking changelings and the such and I guess we did tease her a bit because of that…" the filly said, shying away from her mother's glare.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, young lady! Now, what have I told you about making fun of other ponies?"

"That it's not a nice thing to do and that I shouldn't do to others what I don't want done to me," Glimmer Heart recited hesitantly.

"Exactly so now that this is taken care of, you're grounded until you've learned your lesson. Now come on, let's get you and your friends back home, young lady!"

"But mom!" Glimmer Heart cried out. The pegasus filly lowered her head in defeat as she walked next to her now disappointed mother.

"No buts!" Glimmer Heart's mother glanced back at Star Blaze for a few seconds and said, "Thank you for bringing this to me, sir. I'll see to it she learns her lesson."

Star Blaze hesitantly nodded, not exactly sure if he had done the right thing or not. He waited for the six ponies to be out of his sight before glancing at Melody to see her looking back at him with a puzzled expression. She asked him what would happen to the filly that got grounded and he answered by saying he didn't really know other than the fact she would probably get lectured by her parents later in the day.

She asked him if it was a bad thing. He replied by saying it should be if the other filly learns her lesson, which she should according to the stallion. The filly tilted her head to her side and looked at her brother confusingly before offering him a smile and reminding him that they still had to get to the Hollow Shades before the sun dawned. Oh, how he envied her innocence.

So the pair continued walking through Manehattan without encountering any other problems whatsoever. They left the city through the main gate, which had been fortified when the changeling threat was still an unknown threat made against Equestria a few days before the royal wedding.

To avoid having Melody strain herself too much or overexert herself over her own excitement, Star Blaze grabbed her in his magical hold and lifted her up and put her on his head. He was used to doing that when the two went out of town. Melody was known to get overexcited very quickly and that quickly led to her getting tired faster than some other foals with a less active demeanor than hers.

Another advantage to that was the fact that Melody could nap on his head peacefully. She could also use this to scout the horizon for things that might interest her and there were a lot of things that interested her when they travelled together.

"Big bro, can I ask you something?" Melody asked Star Blaze softly.

"I don't see why not. Ask away, sis!"

"I didn't want to tell you earlier but yesterday I heard the lady at the school talk about our parents. And I've been wondering about some questions about them. Do you know where they are and when I'll finally get to meet them?"

"I've already told you about this, Melody. Mom and Dad are very important science ponies and they're constantly travelling all over the world so they don't have much time to come home so that's why they asked me to take care of you in their stead because they knew they would rarely be there," Star explained, biting his lower lip anxiously.

It was no secret to anyone close to Star Blaze; he hated lying. He would do anything to avoid telling a lie even if that meant being branded as a realistic jerk on some occasions. However, he was still not able to bring himself to tell his little sister the truth about their parents. Partly because he felt she was still too young to be confronted with that kind of reality but also because he was afraid of her reaction. Would she be angry at him? Maybe sad or even disappointed in him for lying?

He was unable to simulate such a scene in his head because it hurt him too much. The mere thought of seeing her cry was enough to make his heart twist in anguish and pain. Though she was his sister, Star had come to see Melody as both daughter and sister because of how much he had cared for her over the years.

To him, she was his pride and joy. He loved to hear about what she learned at school and how she made new friends here and there just as much as he loved to comfort her when she came home crying because bullies had picked on her for being different. He wasn't sure how Melody perceived the whole situation, but he wanted to hope that she saw him as more than just a brotherly figure after all he had done and sacrificed for her sake.

Star Blaze was brought back to reality when he felt something wet on his cheek. He stopped in his tracks and ran a hoof across his right cheek. He felt the dampened fur with his hoof and he trailed the moistened area back to his eye. Tears? The stallion stared at his hoof for a few seconds, trying to figure out why he was shedding tears over something like that.

He was trying to find out what had made him shed tears. As he contemplated the various options, he realized that his recent train of thoughts could have been the even that triggered the tears. He took a guess, and a pretty uncertain one at that, by opting with the lie he told his sister. Not only did he hate lying, he hated talking about his parents because it reminded him too much of the memories he spent with them before their deaths.

"Is something the matter, big bro?" Melody asked in a concerned voice while also confused as to why her brother had suddenly stopped walking.

"N-no. It's… nothing, Melody," Star replied with a heavy voice, feeling the lump in his throat as he desperately tried to remain calm and collected in front of his sister

"Are you sure, you sound sad?"

"Really, it's nothing, sis. You shouldn't worry yourself about me like th—" Star was interrupted by the sound of cracking branches.

He looked to his right and left cautiously and took a few steps back from his initial position. On top of his guard training, the fact that Melody was with him pushed his mind into a defensive state. He would not allow anypony to even get remotely close his sister without his consent. They would have to do so over his dead body.

"Melody, get off of my head and get on my back now!" He barked.

Melody asked no question upon hearing the tone he had used to give her that order. She slid down his neck and held on tight to the base of his neck once she was positioned on his back. After she had taken place on his back, she heard the rustling of leaves coming from several bushes in front of them. She felt her brother take a few more steps back and began to wonder what was happening.

"What's happening, Star?" Melody asked her brother. The stallion recognized the fear in her voice and took a more defensive stance, and he ignited his horn to be prepared for whatever was coming his way.

"Not now, sis. I'm trying to focus here!"

The filly cowered on his back and Star Blaze felt his heart clench upon realizing what tone he had used to tell her that. He made a mental note to apologize once this was over, but his eyes never left the road in front of him.

"Show yourself, whoever you are!" Star shouted, using his horn to make his voice resonate over the surrounding area.

Four masked ponies came out of the bushes in front of him. They were all wearing belts with several weapons, ranging from daggers to short swords, attached to their bodies. The four ponies were all unicorns so if they were bandits or slave traders, although Star Blaze really hoped it was none of the two, they would give him a bit more problems than if they had simply been earth ponies or pegasi.

Star remained in a defensive position, and opted to do so until he was sure of the ponies' intentions out of concern for Melody. His goal was to avoid trouble as much as he could and above all else: keep Melody out of harm's way.

"What do we have here?" one of the ponies asked rhetorically, the mask concealing any facial expressions that could he could have had. "Aren't you a bit far away from home?"

"Why would it matter to you?" Star Blaze replied dryly.

"Well, aren't you the serious one?"

"I'm not here to play games with you. I'm simply trying to get to the Hollow Shades grove to have a bit of a family time with my sister so if you don't mind I'd like to go now," Star told the ponies without even moving an inch. He knew better than to make the first move against armed ponies.

"Hey boss, there's a filly on his back and she's got a pure white coat like his. Think she should fetch a nice price?"

_Great! Of all the ponies I could have stumbled upon, I needed to stumble on some slave traders. I really hate my luck,_ Star thought, cursing his luck all the while.

"Possibly, but this big guy won't do. He's too old to make good profit so you can dispose of him. We only need the filly," the unicorn that seemed to hold authority said in an indifferent tone.

"Roger that!" one of the goons exclaimed. "Shouldn't be that hard to get her after a—"

Before that goon could take out any weapon from his belt, he was blasted away by one of Star Blaze's magic bolt. The masked pony was sent flying further away against the ground. With that done, Star stomped his hoof on the ground to get the other ponies' attention and glared at them viciously. With a dry and serious voice, he said, "Over my dead body!"

The leader let out a deep sigh and shook his head for a few seconds before he lifted a hoof and gave some sort of signal according to Star's viewpoint. Four more unicorns jumped out of the bushes with weapons readied and held in their magical hold.

Star Blaze's eyes widened at that and he took a few steps back in order to avoid the sudden ambush but he was wounded nonetheless by one of the blades. Now that the odds were strongly against him, the stallion didn't waste any time in taking off into the forest. He knew from his training that if he ran away in a straight line, he would never outrun the slave traders. His best option was to outrun them in the forest.

Star ran as fast as his legs could carry him, evading trees, bushes, and rocks in hopes that he would lose his pursuers. Unfortunately, he could still hear the ponies bark orders at each other as they chased after him through the unknown forest.

Another masked unicorn forced him to change his direction by jumping out of a bush standing in his way. It was not too long before the slave traders had him cornered against a cliff. Star stepped back as much as he could until he felt his flanks connect with the cliff's wall. He returned his gaze to the leader of his pursuers and glared at him again.

"You know, I do love to hunt my prey, big guy. But there's a limit to everything too. You can't go around knocking my members unconscious as you like without any consequences. Besides, you should be feeling it by now, aren't you?"

"Feel what?" Star Blaze inquired, now confused as to what the stallion was talking about.

"The poison taking effect." When he saw Star's eyes go wide, the leader let out a chuckle and resumed, "Don't worry, it's not a deadly poison. It's just a very strong anesthetic concoction. You should be feeling its effects right about now."

Now that the adrenaline had subsided from his body, Star took notice of what the other stallion was talking about. His entire body was starting to feel numb, his legs began to wobble slightly, and soon enough, his legs gave way and his body collapsed onto the ground. He tried to look up but the poison was blocking any movements he was trying to do.

The leader was about to give the order to finish Star Blaze, but before he could do so, a loud sound was heard through the area. The slave traders all looked at each other with panicked expressions as the sound echoed through the area again.

"Boss, that was—"

"I know damn well what that was, you idiot! We need to go now!" He looked at another one of the masked ponies and pointed a hoof in his direction. "Take the filly and get the hell out of here. We'll leave this big guy here as a plaything when it arrives."

Star's ears perked up when he heard that, though he was mostly unaware of it, and he was overwhelmed by a second wave of adrenaline. His horn ignited with a deep crimson glow, a glow that was quite different from his usually yellow magical aura, his blue irises shifted to a red color, and a circle of flame formed around him. On top of preventing the other ponies from approaching him and Melody, the flames didn't burn him at all.

When he saw that the flames weren't doing anything to Star, the masked pony that had been tasked with retrieving Melody tried to test if the flames would hurt him. The moment he put his hoof through the flame barrier, he immediately pulled it out while shouting several curses. He looked back at the burnt area and realized that the flames were more potent than he could have imagined.

The sound echoed through the area for the third time and this time, the masked ponies were getting extremely nervous, and some of them even looked like they were ready to turn tail the moment their leader gave the word.

"What are you waiting for, you idiot?!" the leader asked his comrade furiously. He didn't want to stay and wait for the incoming creature to get where they were while they were still in the area. "It can't be that hard to snatch away one single filly!"

"Sir, those flames are protecting them. They burn everything that passes through the circle around those two."

"Fine, we'll leave them here." Letting out a long sigh and cursing his luck at the same time under his breath, he raised a hoof and gave the signal to leave the area. "I hate leaving good profit behind but I guess we can't do anything else about this now. Let's go back, y'all!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the masked ponies all ran away from the clearing the moment they were told so without even glancing back at Star Blaze and Melody. Their leader scowled at this, but he still retreated nonetheless when the sound was heard for a fourth time. That sound really made Star wonder what they meant by 'it' before they left them alone.

He felt his energy falter away, his horn losing its glow, his eyes returning to their usual blue color, and the circle of flame around him disappearing into thin air as it had appeared a few minutes before. Unfortunately for Star, his wonders were stopped by the sound of nearby footsteps. He tried to look up despite the poison affecting his limbs, but he only managed to raise his eyes up to see what was coming but his current viewpoint prevented him from looking over to his right or his left.

Though he wasn't able to see it, he felt his body being thrown in the air by something else. His vision was blurred by the shock and he soon hit the ground, but he failed to sense or feel Melody on his back despite the anesthetic taking effect on his body. Despite that, he had found out that the spot where Melody had been sitting wasn't as numb as the rest of his body, and the fact that he wasn't able to feel her on his back sent him in a state of panic.

Being unable to move his head at all, the stallion found himself unable to locate his sister, but from his new point of view, he saw what the masked ponies meant by 'it' when his eyes made contact with a manticore standing a few meters away from him. His eyes went wide and his mind really started panicking when the thought of the chimera going after Melody went through his head.

His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of something warm against his body. He lowered his eyes to the ground where he felt the warmth and his eyes went wide for a second time. Under his body was a small accumulation of blood, no doubt his own if he put the pieces of the puzzle in the right place, and it kept growing bigger and bigger. The realization hit him like a magical bolt: he was bleeding out.

His own state of stupor made him ignore the manticore that had been standing in front of him and he was brought back to reality by the high-pitched scream of his sister. He roared furiously in his mind as he tried to move his body with whatever means he could think of. The screaming kept going on and the stallion grew more and more desperate. Sweat was soaking his fur and his eyes moved rapidly from one side to another as he thought of a way to get out of this mess. Only one thing was going through his mind, and that was to save Melody, even if it meant his own demise.

He mustered all the strength he had left and he slowly tried to get up to his feet. The first attempt didn't work out very well and he fell back to his original location, but he never lost hope and tried again. He ignored the fact that he could hardly sense his legs and focused on getting up altogether instead. He managed to stand on his hind legs and began working on getting his forelegs up.

Star Blaze was breathing heavily through his nostrils, the hot air seemingly blowing out as if it were steam, as he finally got up on his four legs. Right in front of him stood the manticore, a clawed paw resting on Melody's little body, trickles of blood staining her white coat. His rage grew immensely, to the point where his aura became crimson again. His eyes changed color too and only one thought resonated through his entire being.

_Get the hell off of my sister, you bloody beast!_

He hurled a fireball at the beast and watched the it get thrown off its feet when the two bodies connected. He pursed his lips in a smirk as the beast stood up again and glared at him. It roared at him and he just smiled again. He charged another fireball and threw it at the manticore, sending it flying before it could completely regain its senses.

He chuckled internally as he watched the beast get up again, preparing another fireball in case it tried to attack or pose a threat again. It did none of those; the beast simply retreated from the area, slowly making its exit while limping. He managed to stay up for a few more seconds before his legs collapsed under him and his body shut down on its own, shrouding his entire vision into total darkness.

* * *

Star Blaze didn't know how much time he had spent unconscious. All he knew is that he had been awoken by something nudging his head. He painfully opened his eyes and shook his head, confirming that the poison had worn off. When both his eyes were finally open, he saw a tall figure standing above him. His eyes widened when he finally recognized the form that was standing over him: a changeling, and a queen on top of that apparently if he remembered the description of Queen Chrysalis that his co-workers had told him.

His body tensed as he tried to adopt a defensive position but the pain on his belly made his fall over on his back, writhing in pain.

_Calm thyself, young'un. Your wounds are grave. You getting excited for nothing could kill you._

What the heck? To who had that voice belonged to? Who was it that talked to him in his mind? Was he going crazy or was he getting hallucinations before his time of death? Star Blaze tried opening his mouth to ask the changeling above him, but when he tried to do so, the changeling put a hoof on his mouth.

_You would be correct to assume so, young'un. I am talking to you through telepathy because, in your current state, it would be best for you to conserve your energy._

_Who are you? _Star asked through the telepathic link.

_My hive knows me as Queen Occento. Rest assured that I am nothing like Chrysalis. I strive to clean up the mess Chrysalis made two weeks ago when she invaded Canterlot._

_Why exactly should I trust you? _Star asked again, quite suspicious of the changeling.

_Because I have come here alone, without any guards or escorts. I have also not even touched you or your relative over there,_ Occento replied, looking at Star at the beginning and then raising her head to glance over to where Melody was.

At the mention of Melody's name, Star Blaze tried to get up again to look at her but he found himself bound by the changeling's magic. _Is she alright, though?_

_From what I can sense from here, she still has pulse but it is weak. She does have a grave wound as well._

Just as Occento finished, Star's ears perked up and he tried to get up again, even if he knew he would get stopped by the changeling's magic. He still needed to try. He still needed to see her. He had failed to protect her, and that would weigh upon his conscience forever more.

_What do you think you're doing, young'un?_ Occento asked with an eyebrow lifted while she looked at Star's form with a confused expression. _At this rate, you'll worsen you wound and you'll really bleed out!_

_I don't care! I want to see her; I need to save her! Just let me go! She's too young to die!_

_I understand your cause but I can't let you walk to your death like that. Your life is just as important as hers._

_Now listen here, bug princess!_ His mental tone of voice changed to a bitterer one. _I don't know how long I've been laying here but I do know I've bled too much to get out of here alive. If she can make it, then I don't care what happens to me. I just don't want my little sister to die knowing it's my entire fault we got into this mess!_

Queen Occento was taken aback by the unicorn's speech and for a second, she looked like she had been struck to the face. She had not been expecting this kind of resolve nor love towards a sibling from him. She glanced at Melody again and back at him while thinking of what she would say next.

_Very well, I will grant you your wish. I know of a way to save your sister, though you might not approve of it, and if you do approve of it, I have a proposition to make to you._

_Whatever it takes!_ Star Blaze declared firmly.

* * *

**~ End of Chapter One ~  
**To Be Continued


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